


Muffled Darkness

by mellownightwriter



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Borderline Personality Disorder, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Established Relationship, Evil Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellownightwriter/pseuds/mellownightwriter
Summary: It's been a year since Lance died on a mission. When the team sets out on a mission they encounter a new dangerous enemy.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Kudos: 28





	Muffled Darkness

Keith fought hard as he guarded Pidge’s back while she hacked into he Galra base. He could hear Hunk and Shiro attack the ships outside the galra base. The ground shook slightly as he dodged the gunshots from the Galra hiding behind the walls. More were coming, the alarm blared loudly. 

“Guys I’m afraid but things aren’t going to fair from out here,” Allura’s voice came in from the blue lion followed from a groan. Keith looked back at Pidge who was typing frantically.

“I’m almost there Keith,” She shouted over her shoulder, “Just a little longer, Keith.”

Keith didn’t respond as he stabbed one that closer than he expected. “I don’t know Pidge. There's a lot of them right now. We may need to leav-” The alarms stopped and the shooting stopped. I looked at Pidge who stood frozen and stared at the computer. 

“I didn’t ...it just,” She stared at the screen. “Somethings wrong. Shiro, Hunk, Allura, come get us now.”

Footsteps crept through the hallway. All the Galra stood back, looking to there right at the thing that was coming there way. Keith felt an uneasiness that crept up through his body. Pidge turned and got her bayard ready for the creature that was coming their way. 

The creature finally appeared in the middle of the hall staring back at the two paladins. It looked more normal than they believed it to be. Its skin was cover in clothes. Hands in gloves. It wore galran armor but its body shape was different compared to the galran soldiers. Slimmer and shorter than them but it was taller than Keith. They wore a helmet that covered their face. A laugh left its mouth that filled the hallway. 

A sword came from one hand and a gun in it’s other. The sound of his sword dragging against the ground as he approached them. “You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting me yet have you,” The voice seemed to be as he echoed through the hall. It seemed oddly familiar but to Keith but he couldn’t tell from where. Pidge tensed beside him as she glared at the man.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to meet you all but two will do,” He laughed before stopping and aiming the gun and shooting at Pidge. Keith jumped in front of her using his shield to guard them both. “Always quick on your feet, Keith.”

The sound of Keith’s name sent shock through Keith’s veins as he stared at the man. “Who are you,” Keith asked slowly as he watched the man. The man stilled and another laughed echoed. 

“My name is Calen.” He bolted for Keith and Pidge.

“Run,” Keith shouted to Pidge as he blocked Calen’s attack. Pidge ran but she didn’t leave completely. She aimed at Calen with her bayard shooting him in the arm. Electricity ripped through his body but not a scream of agony ripped through. Only laughter. True laughter filled their ears.

Keith stared in horror at Calen. He was much taller than him which set an uneasy feeling in his gut. “Always so clever Katie,” He sighed. Keith's eyes widen and so did Pidges. Keith tackled Calen and they began fighting. The guy was better than Keith had ever fought. He was quick and swift and didn’t seem to react much to slip-ups. His moves weren’t predictable. Pidge jumped in and the guy took them on. He was good and Keith would be smiling at this challenge if he wasn’t a real threat. 

Keith sliced through the air as he tried to stab Calen but Calen dodged slicing a cut deep into Keith’s arm. He screamed out in pain as Pidge aimed her bayard slamming it towards Calen. I couldn’t see them but I could hear Pidge’s grunts, “Guys what’s going on down there,” Hunks voice came in.

“There's this guy,” I breathed weakly and stood, wiping the blood from my chin. I turned and saw Pidge pinned against the way by her neck as he squeezed, she squirmed and kicked in his grip. I moved quickly using my sword and went for the guy but without turning around he used his other arm and shot me hitting my shoulder. A scream of pain escaped my lips as I fell back. “Pidge.”

A cry escaped my lips as she began to kick harder at him but he wouldn’t budge. “Stop it! Please,” I screamed out looking crawling towards the guy. This time I was prepared for the bullet I knocked it with my shield and it slammed into the back of his thigh. 

This time a scream of pain tore out of him as he released Pidge. This voice was so hauntingly familiar that my breath almost left me. Pidge fell to the ground gasping for air. She looked back at me with wide eyes. Calen aimed his gun at me. 

“I’ve had enough of this child play. I don’t care what she says,” He said more to himself. I watched as he balanced his finger on the trigger. My heart raced as I waited for him to pull it but he stared at me. His eyes were hidden by the mask. I saw Pidge slowly crawl behind him before grabbing her Bayard. It slammed against his head cracking his helmet “Shit!”

“Guys, get to the side,” I could hear Hunk’s voice come in followed by an explosion behind us. I jumped over Pidge as the metal from the ship blow around us. I couldn’t tell if i was screaming or what was around us. The room went dark.

*  
Pidge was smart and always analyzed things. She loved to know everything and solve puzzles but this was one puzzle she wish she didn’t solve or was even created. When she fell out her pod she couldn’t remember much for a minute. 

She felt Hunk’s arms pull her into a tight hug. “What happened,” She mumbled still trying to regain her balance. Hunk helped her to the couch while everyone followed. Everyone except for Keith who was still in the pod. 

“You’ve been on there for a couple of Vargas,” Allura smiled rubbing her back. “We found you and Keith unconscious on the ground after Hunk blasted a hole through the ship.”

Pidge rubbed her head as she slowly remembered the guy who called himself Calen. ‘There was this new guy, his name was Calen and he...he fought so differently from the other Galra. He was different and found this all funny. We didn’t see his face, but I...I think I know who he is. I can’t be sure yet though. I need to look his name up with the information I was able to get from the Galra’s base today because all of this doesn’t make sense….” Her arms trembled as her mind raced.

“His voice was so… scary.” She whispered closing her eyes. “I’ve never seen somebody like him. He would have killed us. He knew our names. He knew my name was Katie.” 

She ran her fingers along her neck where faded bruises hung. “I’m sure he’s not that big of a threat. He just caught you two at a bad time.” Shiro paced with his arms crossed. He didn’t look nervous. 

“Shiro, we barely got a scratch on him,” She stared at the ground for a moment. “Hunk, bring me my laptop I need to know who he is.”

Hunk dashed out of the room while Pidge clenched and unclenched her fist. The room was filled with a concerned silence. Shiro and Allura seemed worried about Pidge. “Maybe he’s a trained soldier which isn’t something new for us,” Allura smiled.

“I’ve handled trained soldiers before just fine though. He was better, stronger. He almost beat Keith completely. He wasn’t even that big. Tall and slim and fought with a sword and a gun with great aim. He even knew the way we fought.” she rambled to herself recalling the incident. “I believe he could take us all and win if we don’t have the lions. He wanted to meet all of us.”

Allura flashed Shiro a nervous look. She didn’t like the way Pidge was describing the stranger. Hunk entered with Pidge’s laptop and handed it to her. She began typing instantly and the screen projected images for them all to see in a holographic image. It showed her logging into the Galra’s logs and when she typed Calen which caused Hagger’s test tiles to pop up. When she clicked the link a blocker popped up.

“Damn it,” she said. “I need to hack the file but it looks like he’s someone Hagger tested on.” 

Her hands shook as thoughts ran through her mind. “If my...if I think it’s who it is then...this doesn’t...it doesn’t make any sense. I have to be wrong. I need to find the code because if it’s...No he would never…” tears were pooling in her eyes as the thoughts only made little sense but on the other hand it made too much sense.

“Pidge, it can’t be Matt,” Hunk placed a hand on her shoulder. “He’s with the rebels-”

“No, not Matt,” She almost yelled. “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Calen is an anagram. For a name that we all know but it doesn’t make any sense but if you look at all the evidence it all adds up. How he knew our names, what type of weapons he used, and how he could be there.” 

They all stood shocked knowing which name she met. None of them dared to say anything while Pidge jumped back on her computer and typed a different name. Lance McClain showed in the hologram and Allura made slight whimper as she watched her hit search and his file popped up. 

She clicked on it and this time it allowed her in. A picture of Lance showed up with scars along his face. Words lined across the screen as it slowly translated to English. She ran over searching for deceased. Lance was dead and the galra everyone knew it. How they sent videos of them torturing him and then sending his dead body back to them, but was he really dead?

“Pidge,” Hunk said softly as tears began to roll down her face as she read the files. “I don’t think you should…”

“It doesn’t say he’s dead,” Her voice was so quiet. “I need that code.” 

Keith was quiet when he fell out the pod and into Shiros arms. The voice repeated in his head over and over again. It was starting to blend with another’s and he couldn’t think like that. They weren’t the same person. That wasn’t possible, but listening to what they talked about before he woke up sent his mind on a spiral.

It was insane and it was cruel. Pidge didn’t have the right to mention him. He was his boyfriend and the whole theory of him being alive with the proof would eat him alive and throw him through a spiral of pain and self questioning. 

Everyone was staring at Keith. Watching for any sign of panic or anger. Keith didn’t like mentioning Lance, he’d get angry at his teammates any mentions of Lance was like tearing his heart out all over again. So Keith swallowed and committed to an idea.

“That monster is not mine is not… he can’t be,” he closed his eyes and let out a breath. “Let’s capture him.”

Allura blinked at him while Hunk and Pidged exchanged glances. Shiro kept his eyes on Keith. His emotion was hidden on his face. “Keith,” Allura started but was cut off by Pidge.

“Let’s capture the little psycho,” she stared at the photo of Lance. “An eye for an eye.”

There was an unfamiliar dryness to Pidge’s voice that sent a tense aura throughout the room. Allura and Shiro felt this sense of uneasiness spreading in the room. “It’s obvious that he’s her greatest experiment. The way the Galra cringed back in fear at his presence. The witch took our friend… our family and now will take something from her that she cares about. He already wants to meet us and if it is him we can help him. It’s a win win.” She looked from Allura to Shiro with pleading eyes

The act of revenge didn’t set right in the princesses stomach. Voltron was meant to protect the universe and project peace for those who are close to little hope. Killing a soldier who hasn’t attacked offensively didn’t seem very Voltron like.

“Um princess,” Hunk spoke up. His voice was so quiet. “If we do capture this Calen we could get information from him and help him.”

Like what they did to Sendak. “But what if he destroys it from the inside out. Calen isn’t an idiot according to Keith and Pidge. He could be stronger than we expect. We can’t just act in revenge-”

“It isn’t an act of revenge,” Keith stood now his anger slowly pulling him to realization of the situation. “We’re riding the universe of another dangerous individual and we could maybe use him as an answer to the witch’s magic and it’s limits.”

Allura clasped her hands and looked down at the floor, her thoughts racing. They were only kids forced to be soldiers and Allura sometimes forgot that. They were angry and had to fight to live with no choice. 

“Fine,” her own voice betrayed her shaking in the process knowing that this choice was risky. “If he’s a dangerous as you claim then we’re doing the universe a favor.”


End file.
